Chapter 21: Revocation of Disciplinary Action

"Secretary Xu, speaking of this, it reminds me of something Little Liu reported to me..."

Bringing up Hu Jiayun, Hong Haifeng recalled an incident and relayed to Xu Guoli that not only had Hu Jiayun refused to process Qin Feng’s resignation, but she had also tasked him with overseeing the Civil Affairs Office.

Xu Guoli listened in thoughtful silence before responding, "She is doing this for my benefit; it is a hint."

"What kind of hint?"

"To revoke the decision to dismiss Qin Feng and appoint him as the director of the Civil Affairs Office."

Hong Haifeng was astonished. "Make him the director of the Civil Affairs Office? How is that possible? He has only been working here for a few days! Isn't that absurd?"

"Do I have a choice? We nearly capsized this time. If I don't take her seriously now, the next time won't be so easy. Who would have thought such a formidable figure was hidden here in Bishan?" Xu Guoli sighed once more.

"Secretary Xu, why is Secretary Hu being so good to this newcomer, Qin Feng? What is their relationship?" Hong Haifeng asked, deeply puzzled.

"Who knows? Since she favors this Qin Feng, we shall treat him well too."

"Besides, Wang Yunfei is unaware of certain internal information, so he cannot possibly guess her background. Yet, he seems to harbor a special grudge against Qin Feng, so... heh..." Xu Guoli let out a cold, sinister laugh.

"Using a borrowed knife to kill?"

"Don't put it so crudely. That is Wang Yunfei’s own business; it has nothing to do with us. In any case, this is between you and me. It must not reach anyone else’s ears. Do you hear me?"

***

Hong Haifeng nodded hurriedly; he had been dealt too many shocks today.

Upon returning to the township, Xu Guoli immediately convened a leadership meeting. Xu Guoli and Wang Yunfei sat there with exceptionally grim expressions, especially Wang Yunfei.

Li Dejun, seeing their demeanor, let out a scoff and a cold laugh, smoking his cigarette in silence.

Hu Jiayun sat there reviewing her work notes, paying no heed to anyone else’s expression, as if none of this concerned her.

"There is one more matter that must be resolved immediately, and that is the personnel issue at the Civil Affairs Office," Xu Guoli began, transitioning to the main topic after summarizing and self-criticizing regarding the corruption case at the office.

"The Civil Affairs Office has effectively rotted from within. We must address this immediately to restore its operational capacity," Xu Guoli continued. "Does anyone have any suggestions regarding this?"

Xu Guoli scanned the room, but no one spoke.

"Secretary Hu, what is your opinion?" Xu Guoli asked, looking at Hu Jiayun.

According to protocol, after Xu Guoli spoke, the second-in-command, Wang Yunfei, would usually be the one to speak. Even if Xu were to solicit opinions, he would typically turn to Wang first. The fact that he skipped over Wang to ask Hu Jiayun caught everyone by surprise.

"I have no opinion. I abide by the organization's decision," Hu Jiayun replied formulaically.

Hu Jiayun’s refusal to take a stance put Xu Guoli in a difficult position. He could not bring up Qin Feng’s name himself, so he signaled to Hong Haifeng.

***

Hong Haifeng hurried to interject, "I believe we should resolve Comrade Qin Feng’s disciplinary issue as soon as possible and have him return to the Civil Affairs Office to resume his duties."

"The recent inspection by the Discipline Inspection Commission proves that Comrade Qin Feng is innocent. He has no faults; he is a trustworthy, battle-tested, and capable comrade. This also demonstrates that our previous decision to discipline him was incorrect, and we should revoke it."

"With the Civil Affairs Office currently in dire need of personnel, and given that Comrade Qin Feng is a veteran employee familiar with all aspects of the office’s operations, we should allow him to return to work as soon as possible."

"I disagree!" Wang Yunfei glared fiercely at Hong Haifeng.

"Do you treat disciplinary actions as a joke? That was a decision made by the organization. Can it just be revoked on a whim?"

"Although the Discipline Inspection Commission’s investigation did not implicate Qin Feng this time, that does not mean he is without fault. The Civil Affairs Office has suffered such severe issues, and since Qin Feng worked there, who can guarantee he wasn't involved? It is simply that the investigation didn't uncover it," Wang Yunfei argued resolutely.

"Is Township Head Wang questioning the findings of the Discipline Inspection Commission?" Hu Jiayun asked coldly, speaking for the first time during the meeting.

Her words choked Wang Yunfei, leaving his face flushed and deeply embarrassed. How could he possibly counter such a serious accusation?